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Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Losing weight is a team sport, apparently. A new randomized trial found that partners who attended just half of a behavioral weight-management program lost significantly more weight over 24 months than those who stayed home — even though they weren't asked to change their habits. The findings suggest that looping in a spouse or partner could be a low-effort, high-reward add-on to standard obesity treatment.
Losing weight is a team sport, apparently. A new randomized controlled trial published in Obesity Science & Practice found that cohabiting partners who were formally included in a behavioral weight-management program lost significantly more weight over 24 months than those who weren't — even though they attended only about half the sessions and weren't required to change their own behavior or lose weight.
The study enrolled 231 couples where one partner qualified for weight management. Those in the partner-assisted group attended 6 of 13 weight-loss sessions alongside the enrolled participant. By the end of the 24-month program, partner-assisted participants had lost meaningfully more weight than their untreated counterparts, with the effect growing stronger over time and among those with higher baseline BMIs.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: For clinicians treating obesity, this study suggests that simply inviting a patient's partner to a handful of sessions — no strings attached — could meaningfully extend the benefits of weight-loss programs beyond the individual patient.
